International Lifestyle Magazine Issue 49 | Page 77

Ask Retreat Centre was established in 1998 by Bjarke Jørgensen and Audhild Naustdal. Ask Retreat Centre is part of the Scandinavian Yoga and Meditation School. It offers deep going retreats in yoga, tantra and meditation under ashram like conditions as well as a yoga teacher education in cooperation with Swami Janakananda and the rest of the branches of Scandinavian Yoga and Meditation School. Bjarke Jørgensen is Danish and was born in 1954. After a 3-month Course in 1976 he joined the yoga teacher education by Swami Janakananda in search of combining an active, creative life with spiritual qualities. In 1983 he founded the Yoga School in Bergen, Norway. Bjarke has been teaching Classical Yoga for more than 25 years, the last 19 years also the advanced tantric meditations, Antar Mauna and Ajapa Japa. His creativity has also been put into painting, computer graphics, desktop publish, building traditional norwegian timb er houses and more. Bjarke lives with Audhild and their 11-year old son, Mikal, at Ask Course Centre. Audhild Naustdal is Norwegian and born in Førde in 1959. She is educated by Swami Janakananda and Bjarke and has taught yoga and meditation since 1988 with Yoga for pregnant woman as her speciality. Audhild has a background as a preschool teacher, but from 2001 she has been working full time as yoga teacher. She is also responsible for the production of Futon yoga mats for the yoga schools in Norway. At Ask Retreat Centre you can enjoy teaching in classical Yoga and Meditation for small groups up

to a maximum of 16 participants. The summer retreats are unique in content and intensity - either 5- or 10 days - but you can also attend shorter retreats at Christmas, Easter and Whitsun plus some Weekend retreats. Students - and others who have learned similar yoga and meditation techniques - also have the possibility to stay at the retreat for shorter or longer periods of time to go deeper in their work with themselves. - Ask Retreat Centre is situated on the island of Askøy approx. 20 km. (13 miles) north of Bergen As a student on a retreat you will participate in a living process which gives you the opportunity to discover new dimensions in yourself. The retreat is a process in which all aspects are equally important. Only participate if you are prepared to follow the whole retreat. Classical Yoga and Breathing Exercises Working step by step, and by using your body in different yoga exercises and poses, you will rediscover it. You will develop more sensitivity towards your body, alleviate tension, buildup energy and gain well-being. Your breathing reflects your state of mind, whether you are calm, impatient, groggy, nervous, restless, etc. With the breathing exercises you can transform any state and gain contact with your inner surplus energy, the psychic energy. On the Holiday Retreats (10 days or more) and on the Chakra retreat you will also partake in Shankprakshalana, the intestinal cleansing. On 5-days retreats (like the Easter Retreat) there is a lighter version of Shankprakshalana.

www.internationallifestylemagazine.com